What started out as an idea by Wally Thurow in 1956 to offer something creative for the students of Sycamore has grown from a neighborhood display on his front yard into the town’s biggest city-wide event, beginning on Wednesday with the Opening Ceremony and cake cutting and concluding on Sunday afternoon with a parade.
The festival has over 1000 entries in the Lions Club Decorated Pumpkin Display, two carnivals, many not-for-profit vendors, three indoor craft shows, Saturday entertainment, and various activities, and it concludes on Sunday with a 90-minute parade.
Our History
Back in 1956, Wally Thurow, who is known as Sycamoreโs “Mr. Pumpkin,” began what was to become the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival when he displayed a few decorated pumpkins on his front lawn to turn Halloween into a time of fun and creativity. In 1962, through the efforts of Mr. Pumpkin and the Sycamore Lions Club, the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival became an official celebration in Sycamore.
Every year, the Pumpkin Festival unites more than 30 DeKalb County not-for-profit groups, working to provide a weekend of Halloween fun for all. The Courthouse lawn is the center of activities, including thousands of decorated pumpkins on display, there are also art and craft shows, a house walk, a pie eating contest, a carnival, a fun fair, a race, and other events. The festival is concludes with a giant parade on Sunday afternoon.
Our Mission
The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival is a community celebration, showcasing our local not-for-profit organizations.
Our Purpose
The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Committee is responsible for coordinating the annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, a family-oriented festival, to be held in the fall of each year. The festival promotes awareness of the City of Sycamore and provides and opportunity for DeKalb County not-for-profit organizations to participate in fund raising activities, community education, and enrichment.
๐๐๐ฅโ๐ค ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐โ ๐ฃ๐๐๐!๐งก Lions Food Truck is set, Flags are up and the Carnival rolled in yesterday! Only ONE MORE DAY until the Opening Ceremony and GIANT CAKE! ๐ฐ
#SycamorePumpkinFestival #SycamorePumpkinFest #CityOfSycamore #SycamoreIL #MostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear
๐ Lots of fun was had by all at the Free Pumpkin Giveaway!๐
Thanks to the Sycamore Lions Club, Theis Farm Market and BSA Troop 40 Sycamore!
#SycamorePumpkinFestival #SycamorePumpkinFest #SycamoreIL #CityOfSycamore #MostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear
๐ FฬณRฬณEฬณEฬณ ฬณPฬณUฬณMฬณPฬณKฬณIฬณNฬณ ฬณGฬณIฬณVฬณEฬณAฬณWฬณAฬณYฬณ๐
๐ป๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐พ !Sat. Oct. 19 at 10:00 am
Behind the โMr. Pumpkinโ Statue
Parking lot – Somonauk & Elm
Thanks to the sycamorelionsclub, Theis Farm Market and BSA Troop 40 Sycamore!
#SycamorePumpkinFestival #SycamorePumpkinFest #SycamoreIL #CityOfSycamore #MostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear
You can hear the broadcast of Sycamore Pumpkin Parade Co-Chair Terri Crain Goodmanโs interview with Terry Ryan at WLBK FM98.9 AM1360 on Sunday, October 20 at 11:40 am and Monday, October 21 at 9:10 am.
#SycamorePumpkinFestival
#PumpkinsAroundTheWorld #SycamorePumpkinFest
#SycamoreIL #CityOfSycamore #WLBK #MostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear
REMINDERโฆTonight is the Pumpkin Festival NonProfit Vendors Meeting!
Please send one representative from your organization to this information meeting.
7:00 PM in the City Council Chamber
Use the Somonauk St. entrance.
๐ Hereโs all the info youโve been waiting forโฆthe 2024 Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Schedule!! ๐
Weโre continuing to move into the digital age by posting all of our festival schedule, vendors, parade info, maps and more on our website! You can access the schedule by scanning the QR code below. ๐ฝ ๐ฝ ๐ฝ
We will only be printing a limited number of physical brochures this year in the hopes to save trees (and money ๐)!
We encourage everyone to use their smartphones to access all the info ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค! ๐ฒ
Hereโs a handy link in case youโre already on your smartphone! https://sycamorepumpkinfestival.com/schedule/
Share this post and help spread the word!
#SycamorePumpkinFestival
#SycamorePumpkinFestival2024
#SycamorePumpkinFest
#SycamoreIL #FallFestival #Pumpkins
๐ป Give a listen this morning at 8:10 AM on 102.3 The Coyote as we discussed the upcoming 2024 Sycamore Pumpkin Festival! ๐
๐ Have you always wanted to be in the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Parade?? ๐งก Are you a teen who needs service credit hours for school or your organization? ๐โโ๏ธ๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Do you have a service organization or business with lots of smiling faces who like to help? ๐
The Pumpkin Festival Parade is in need of volunteers to carry the banners for the parade this Sunday, October 27. This is a walking job for a roughly 2 mile parade route so we are looking for volunteers middle school age and older.
We have a total of 12 banners so 24 volunteers are needed from 12:30-approx. 3:00pm to help us make this yearโs parade look fabulous!
If you or your organization is interested in helping or have questions, please PM us your contact info.
#sycamorepumpkinfestival #pumpkinfestivalparade
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https://form.jotform.com/212408041839049
This is the link to the online Lions Decorated Pumpkin Display Entry Form. Paper forms will still be available during check in from 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm on Wednesday October 23rd.
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Few people have been as dedicated to Sycamore and to the Pumpkin Festival as Jim Dombek. Jim lived a life dedicated to family, friends, community, and church. He was a volunteer for many community groups throughout DeKalb County. Most notably, Jim was a member of the Sycamore Community Board of Education beginning in 1997 and served as Board President from 1999 until his passing in 2024. His final job was as Director of Trust/Investments & Counsel at Resource Bank. He was known for his meticulous management of trust portfolios, guardianships, and estate planning, as well as his expertise in investment advice and tax planning.
Jim`s commitment to his work was only surpassed by his love for his family, his friends and his faith. In 1991, he was ordained as a Permanent Deacon for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford and served at the NIU Newman Center in DeKalb for 32 years.
Jim was an integral part of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, serving as the legal advisor for 26 years. He was also well known in the community as the announcer for our grand parade on Sunday. His voice and his spirit will be sorely missed.
He will be remembered for his kindness, wisdom, and unwavering integrity. His legacy will live on in the lives of those he touched and the institutions he helped shape, especially the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival.
๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐น๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ต๐ซ ๐ถ๐ญ ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐บ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฝ๐จ๐ณ
Bart Desch, long-time supporter of our community and of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, passed away on November 6, 2023, at the age of 58. His family will be representing him in the parade this year. Bart graduated from Western Illinois University in 1989. He first served as the recreation coordinator of the Joliet Park District, and also as the recreation supervisor of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District from 1995 to 2000. He was then the facility manager at the Pleasant Dale Park District before coming to Sycamore. Bart arrived in Sycamore in 2003, where he served as the program supervisor for the Sycamore Park District. He then became the Superintendent of Recreation in 2010. He served in that capacity until 2015. Notably, Bart was an Illinois National Guardsman from 1985-1990. In Sycamore, he was also a dedicated volunteer for Pay-It-Forward house for many years. We are honoring him this year for his 15 years of dedicated service to the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Committee from 2007-2022.
๐ HOW IS YOUR PRIZE WINNING PUMPKIN GROWING??!!
๐ฅJoe Morgan grew a pumpkin that weighed 1,808.5 pounds, obliterating the Minnesota State Fairโs old record of 1,676.5 pounds set in 2022.
At the time he cut it from the vine, Joeโs pumpkin was growing an average of 20 pounds per day.
#LargestPumpkinInMinnesota
#StateRecord
